Cardiff’s Big Weekend is coming back – and organisers promise it will be bigger and better.

Pride Cymru will host the three-day celebration in the heart of Cardiff over 2017’s August Bank Holiday weekend.

Organisers had feared for the future of their event after the council warned them their usual venue of Cooper’s Field could be out of action because of a fanzone planned for the Champions League final.

The final will be held in Cardiff next year, and although no plans have been announced for a fanzone, it is expected it would be in Bute Park.

Instead, the event will be held on the City Hall lawn in the Civic Centre – currently home to the Winter Wonderland.

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200,000 people

The Pride Big Weekend event will be a mix of the usual Pride celebrations and the return of the Big Weekend.

It is thought that 200,000 people will come together for the event.

The last Big Weekend was in 2011 with acts including Funeral For A Friend, Gabrielle and The Feeling.

Chair of Pride Cymru Lu Thomas said: “We are looking forward to bringing the Big Weekend back to the capital next year, especially in our new location.

“Following the success of Pride 2016 we are very much looking forward to making this event an even bigger success for the LGBT community in Wales as well as the local community and economy of Cardiff.”

She said that plans for next year’s event could include “Yurt in the City” – an area dedicated to yoga, meditation and healing therapies.

Sayers Amusements will provide rides and there will be a main stage, cabaret and dance arena as well as Welsh music and local artists.

The parade, which this year weaved through the city centre, will return on Saturday.

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"Bigger and better version"

Council leader Phil Bale said: “I’m delighted that Pride will be taking centre stage at the Civic Centre over the Bank Holiday weekend.

“This new, three-day-long Pride event will also see the welcome return of Cardiff’s famous Big Weekend as the Pride organisers look to merge the two events into one.

“This city council has always supported the Pride event and we were delighted to be able to help the organisers with their new plans.

“When the city council began talks with Pride about moving the festival from Coopers Field, the City Hall Lawn and the Civic Centre seemed the perfect setting.

“This is one of the world’s finest civic centres. It puts Pride centre stage and the idea of reintroducing the Big Weekend as part of the festival will offer another dimension to what has always been one of Wales’ best events.

“The people of Cardiff have always taken the Pride festival to their hearts and I’m convinced this even bigger and better version will prove to be a huge hit, attracting residents and visitors from across the UK, and even the world, to this fantastic LGBT celebration of diversity.”